All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1)(78)

It was a good lesson.

I went into my bedroom to put on clothes. Though I wouldn’t have minded spending the rest of that day in bed, there were things yet to be done. I needed to go see Yuri and Mickey Balanchine to explain about my brother.

The doorbell rang. I thought it might be Yuji Ono, come back to tell me all the other ways in which I was failing, but it wasn’t: it was Mr Kipling and Simon Green. They had tied up the business at the wake and had come to check on Leo and the rest of us.

‘Yes,’ I reported. ‘We’re all fine enough. Leo is resting. And I’m on my way to make amends with Yuri and Mickey. Would either of you happen to know what the word internecine means?’

‘Bloody,’ they replied in unison.

‘It’s a bloody conflict within a group,’ Simon Green continued.

‘Something for a school report?’ Mr Kipling asked.

I shook my head.

‘You look awful,’ Simon Green added unhelpfully.

‘Thank you,’ I replied.

‘No, I only meant, are you sure you’re up to going out?’ Simon Green asked.

‘I’d rather not, but I don’t think it can be put off,’ I said.

‘Anya is right,’ Mr Kipling said. ‘When small wounds are left untreated, they can fester and become far more serious injuries. We’ll take you there, if you’d like.’

‘No,’ I replied. ‘I think it’s best if I go alone. It’ll seem less formal.’

Mr Kipling agreed that my instincts were probably right, but he insisted that he and Simon Green ride the bus with me to the Pool anyway.

X V I. i apologize (repeatedly); am apologized to (once)

AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, the Pool was located on West End Avenue in the nineties, not too far from Holy Trinity. Though I tried to avoid going there, the Pool was beautiful in its way. Mosaic tiles lined the walls in gold, white and turquoise. No one had swum there in years, the whole place still smelt lightly of chlorine. And because all of it was underground, it was quiet and cool. Sound bounced around in unusual, unpredictable patterns. Daddy had chosen the space because it was cheap, easy to secure and more convenient than the old offices in Williamsburg. I imagine it had also pleased him aesthetically. One of the main reasons I didn’t like going there was because it reminded me so strongly of Daddy.

Fats was waiting in the lobby with Jacks. ‘I’d like to see Uncle Yuri and Mickey,’ I said. ‘Are they in?’

‘Sure, kid,’ Fats said. ‘They’re still in the offices. Sorry, but I’ll have to frisk you before you go back there.’

‘Hope you don’t get chickenpox,’ I replied as I held up my arms.

‘Had the vaccination when I was a kid,’ Fats said as he ran his hands up and down my clothes. ‘All done. How you doing with the itching?’

‘I’ve been trying to concentrate my scratching on one or two spots. I had this theory that if I scratched the heck out of one, I’d barely even notice the others.’

‘Yeah,’ said Fats. ‘How’s that working for you?’

‘Not great,’ I admitted.

I noticed that Jacks hadn’t said anything since I’d come in. This silence didn’t seem like him, and I was reminded of what Yuji Ono had said about Jacks being an unhealthy influence on my brother. ‘Hi, Jacks,’ I said.

‘Nice to see you, Annie,’ Jacks said.

‘So,’ I said, ‘what happened with Leo today anyway? I heard you were with him at the time.’

Jacks ran his fingers through his hair several times. ‘You know your brother better than anyone. Sometimes stuff sets him off. I think he was sad over your grandmother so he took it out on Mickey.’

‘But why Mickey? Why not you?’ I persisted. ‘Weren’t you closer by?’

‘Christ, Annie. I don’t know. Mickey’s an ass. Maybe he looked at Leo funny. Who the hell knows? I’m not my brother’s keeper or your brother’s either.’ Jacks turned to Fats. ‘Is it OK if I go now? I’m starving.’

Fats nodded. ‘Yeah, but I got to get back to my establishment by eight, so don’t be gone too long.’

Jacks turned to me before he left. ‘Sorry if I was short with you, Annie. I’ve got a lot on my mind.’

‘Don’t mind him,’ Fats said. ‘I think he’s got his period.’ Fats pointed me towards the back. ‘You better get going if you want to talk to Mickey and Yuri.’

Yuri’s office was in the heart of the locker room. The whole front of the office was a glass window. This window in combination with a large convex mirror in the upper corner of the wall made it easy to see who was coming or going no matter where you stood in the office. Consequently, I didn’t have to knock on the door. I was just waved in.

‘Annie,’ Uncle Yuri said, rising to greet me. ‘Good to see you. We missed you at Galina’s wake today. But I can see from your face that you are still unwell.’

‘I’m mainly better,’ I assured him. I kissed him on both of his cheeks because that was the protocol.

‘Hello, Anya,’ Mickey said. Mickey was lurking in the corner of the room. I could see that he had a light bruise on his cheek. What he had done to Leo had been much more severe.

‘You should be in bed,’ Uncle Yuri said. ‘What takes you from your bed, little Annie?’